Bangkok
Defending world champion and India’s star women’s badminton player PV Sindhu lost her first group stage match of women’s singles at the BWF World Tour Finals, which began here on Wednesday. Olympic silver medalist Sindhu suffered a 21–19, 12–21, 17–21 defeat against Taipei Ying of Chinese Taipei in an hour-long match.

The 25-year-old Sindhu will now play her next match against Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon. Sindhu had lost to former world champion Ratchanok in straight games in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open last week. To reach the semi-finals, Sindhu would have to win at least two matches based on the round robin.

In Group B, apart from Sindhu, Tai Ju Ying and Ratnachok, there is also Pornpavi Chochuvong. Eight players participate in the BWF World Tour Finals. It consists of two groups of four players each.

The top two players from each group reach the semi-finals. Sindhu has won the BWF World Tour Finals title in 2018 and is the only Indian player to win the title.